EACH match this weekend will be broadcast in a foreign language, a first for the AFL.
Fourteen commentators will cover the nine matches, with each game allocated a language theme.
Jamie Pi and Manpreet Singh are among the most experienced of the group when it comes to calling footy.
Pi is a pioneer in foreign language football commentary, having broadcast AFL matches in Mandarin on community radio for several years. He continues playing a key role raising awareness of the game among the Chinese community, working with Port Adelaide in this area - last week, he finalised an arrangement with the AFL to help build new audiences via Chinese social media platforms.
Pi, who runs a financial planning business, came to Melbourne from China with his family when he was 13. He says football, which he first saw in kick-to-kick form during lunchtime when he was in year seven, played a key role in his adjustment to a new life.
“I like to attribute a lot of my personal success to football. Through footy I have met my best mate, made a lot of good friends and learned English,” Pi said.
“I have learned about perseverance and confidence, living a healthy lifestyle and being fit. It’s given me an opportunity to give something back and I’m doing that now.”
Several years ago, Pi and some friends formed the Southern Dragons Football Club, attracting mostly players from foreign backgrounds. Unfortunately, diminishing volunteer support saw the club fold, but Pi continues to play the game and remains an enthusiastic advocate for it.
"My dream is that in the not-too-distant future, I can cheer on a Chinese AFL player at the MCG kicking goals for the rest of our community," he said
Singh, an executive producer and broadcaster for SBS Radio in Melbourne, was born in Jalandhar, India, and migrated to Australia in 1991.
Last year, she broadcast an Essendon match in Hindi and Punjabi, teaching injured Bombers captain Jobe Watson a handful of footy-related terms in the two languages.
Singh has three children – "staunch Richmond supporters" – and her son Avi is captain of his Caulfield Grammar School footy team. He plays with a patka, a traditional head covering worn by Sikh children.
Fluent in four languages including her native Punjabi and Urdu, Singh will commentate the Collingwood-Carlton and St Kilda-Fremantle matches in Hindi.
Singh enjoys the speed of footy, marvels at how it brings people together and is a fan of Tiger Alex Rance, who has Indian heritage. She is hoping another Sikh will soon follow the path of former Adelaide player Balraj Singh - the first player of Indian origin drafted by an AFL club.
"Secretly, I do hope that this time round, it's a dashing young lad wearing a brightly coloured footy patka."
LANGUAGE 'THEMES' FOR THIS ROUND OF MATCHES
Greek: Adelaide v Richmond (Adelaide Oval)
Commentators: George Halkias and Niko Nikolopoulos
Hindi: Collingwood v Carlton (MCG) and St Kilda v Fremantle (Etihad Stadium)
Commentators: Manpreet Singh and Harbir Singh
Mandarin: Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide (Etihad Stadium) and Melbourne v North Melbourne (MCG)
Commentators: Jamie Pi and Euphie Rong
Vietnamese: Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast (Gabba)
Commentators: Hung Huynh and Diana Nguyen
Italian: West Coast v Hawthorn (Domain Stadium)
Commentators: Diego Ghiradi and Rick D’Andrea
Spanish: Geelong v Sydney Swans (Simonds Stadium)
Commentators: Juan Moya andLuis Veliz
Arabic: GWS v Essendon (Spotless Stadium)
Commentators: Rick Kerbatieh and Wassim Rafihi
THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE BROADCASTS ARE AVAILABLE VIA AFL.COM.AU AND THE AFL APP.
